'Border Police' take over a Larkhall street and hand out visas to protest proposed ward boundary changes

They say the planned changes are a "well kept secret" and an affront to democracy

by Sam Ferguson

15:34, 27 Jan 2018Updated12:02, 5 Feb 2018

Protesters took to the streets of Larkhall to demonstrate against proposed boundary changes

Protestors dressed up as border guards and handed out mock visas in Larkhall today to demonstrate against proposed boundary changes that would abolish the Lambridge ward and “carve up” Larkhall.

The border patrol protesters braved the wind and rain to set up barriers and hand out “visas” to visitors who live outside the proposed new boundaries.

Snappily-dressed in mock police uniforms and carrying loudspeakers, leaflets and signs, the guards spoke to local residents and shoppers to raise awareness of an issue they say is not being publicised enough.

They were joined by Bath and North East Somerset Cllr Lin Patterson (Lambridge, Green), who called the changes a well-kept secret and said they had the potential to carve up the ocommunity.

Cllr Patterson said: “Lambridge ward should remain intact because it has a cohesive history and community that works together.

“If they carve it up it will decimate our ward. We are a cohesive community and we need to be a large representative community.

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“People can go online to the B&NES website and put in their thoughts and objections to this by Feburary 19.

“What I’m going right now is joining these good people in order to raise awareness about what is going on because people just don’t know what is happening.

The protesters were joined by Green Party Cllr Lin Patterson (Lambridge)

“It’s a well-kept secret, but it affects the whole of Bath. Okay you can go online and register your objection but if you don’t do it by the deadline this could just roll over us.

“Use your voice, this doesn’t have to happen. We can stop this.”

Jane Samson, 59, who helped chief organiser Lesely Bees to arrange the protest, urged people to register their opinions to the plans and said the decision to reduce the number of councillors was an effort to save money at the cost of democracy.

posting their submission to The Review Officer (Bath and North East Somerset), Local Government Boundary Commission for England, 14th floor, Millbank Tower, London SW1P 4QP.

The commission's final recommendations will be published on May 8.

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